(江苏常州教育学院 张莹波)
众所周知,爵士乐为本世纪20年代起风靡美国的一种节奏明快而强烈、活泼而放纵的音乐。它起源于美国 黑人,但许多美国作曲家在创作上或多或少地借鉴爵士乐的节奏,创作出奔放流畅的乐曲。绝大部分美国人尤 其是美国青年酷爱此种音乐,为此美国纽约大学语言学院的英语教授卡罗琳·格拉姆深受启发,在英语的教与 学方面,创出一种与爵士乐有关的新型方法叫“爵士调”(Jazz chant)。
格拉姆教授精通爵士乐。她本人一直是个职业表演者,在纽约的许多俱乐部里演奏格拉泰姆乐——一种早 期爵士音乐,弹奏钢琴并吹奏一种爵士小笛子。她毕业于美国的名牌大学——加利福尼亚大学伯克利分院。毕 业后,她在土耳其的安卡拉和伊斯坦布尔从事了九年英语作为第二语言的教学工作。1969年回美,自此一直任 教于纽约大学语言学院。格拉姆教授在长期的语言教学实践中,特别是在英语作为第二语言的教学中,不断探 索、钻研创新。她发现人们平常说话都带有某种乐感或节奏感,能不能将此种乐感在英语的教学中尝试一下呢 ？语言将具有什么样的乐感才会使学生有兴趣学、学而不忘、学后会用呢？从而使之能够取代当时以机械的、 呆板的句型操练为主的口语教材。格拉姆教授想撰写一本真正情景交融的便于教与学的教材。而爵士乐是她最 熟悉的音乐,节奏感强烈,若将之恰当地运用到语言教学中定会产生好的效果。“爵士调”便由此产生了,格 拉姆教授精心创作了许多调子和诗歌,这些调子和诗歌经过多年的实践不断地完善,最终一本收集了系统性的 二十四个调子和诗歌的题为《爵士调》的书出版了,并配有录音磁带。美国各地以及墨西哥、加拿大、澳大利 亚、波兰等国的英语教师们在实际教学中发现爵士调确有不同凡响的魅力,它不仅帮助学生提高听和说的能力 ,而且还是一种高效有趣的掌握英语知识的途径。
爵士调是学习标准美国口语的一种新型有效的方法,它不仅适宜自学,更适宜英语教师课堂使用,达到活 跃课堂气氛的目的。爵士调是一种有鲜明节奏感的表达不同情感的方法。调子中无论是问的问题还是作的回答 ,还是一般的陈述,都以极其自然、真实的速度和节奏表达出来,同时通过不同的重音、夸张的语调来表达不 同的情感,还可边说边打拍子,以增强其效果。格拉姆教授创作的爵士调大都来自日常生活,通俗易懂,学后 即用；有的调子风趣幽默,颇多生活哲理,具有独特的吸引力。而且,每个调子都有练习的重点,系统学完的 话,英语口语应有一大提高。通过学习爵士调,不仅可以掌握一定量的常用词汇,而且能够学会如何在不同场 合表达喜怒哀乐、焦虑忧愁等不同的情绪。例如：Return Home表达了与阔别好久的朋友重逢时的喜悦；You'r e JustLike Your Mother!则表达生气；It's Got to Be Somew here!表达不知所措；Panic on Being Late表 达焦虑；Selfish表达所有关系；Rain表达想家；而Ouch!That Hurts和My Feet Hurt则分别表达身体某部位的 伤害和痛苦。(以上爵士调的部分内容见文后附录)
爵士调的结构有以下几种类型。
一、问题和响应(Question and response includinginformation questions,Yes/No questions ,and questions createdby the intonation pattern alone)
(1)Personal Questions
Where were you born?
I'd rather not say.
Where are you from?
I'd rather not say.
How tall are you?
How old are you?
How much do you weigh?
I'd rather not say.
How much rent do you pay?
I'd rather not say.
How much do you make?
I'd rather not say.
Why aren't you married?
I'd rather not say.
Why don't you have children?
I'd rather not say.
Where were you last night?
Why weren't you home?
Did you stay out iate?
Did you come home alone?
Did you have a good time?
Did you see a good play?
Did you go to a concert?
I'd rather not say.
此调子练习了where,why,how much,how old,how tall等引导的一系列常用信息问句、是否问句、一般过去 时和一般现在时的区别。还有常用词组如be married,stay out late,have a good time,go to aconcert,see
a play等得到很好的练习。另外,I'd rather do sth.的否定式I'd rather not do sth.也通过八次的重复而 被自然牢记。这个调子中的问题是从一些可问的问题到相当个人化的问题,即体现了礼貌表达法与粗鲁表达法 的区别,这一点对学习英语者来说是很重要的。
(2)Love Song
Does she love him?
Yes,she does.
Is she happy?
Yes,she is.
Does he know it?
Yes,she does.Yes,he knows it.
Will she hug him?
Yes,she will.
Will she kiss him?
Yes,she will.
Will she leave him?
Yes,she will if she has to.
Does he love her?
Yes,he does.
Is he happy?
Yes,he is.
Does she know it?
Yes,he does.Yes,she knows it.
Will he hug her?
Yes,he will.
Will he kiss her?
Yes,he will.
Will he leave her?
Yes,he will if he has to.
Are they happy?
Yes,they are.
Are they lucky?
Yes,they are.
Do they know it?
Yes,they do.Yes,they know it.
Will he find somebody new?
Will she find somebody too?
Yes,they will.
Yes,they will if they have to.
这个调子典型地包括了各种人称的Yes/No questions,同时展示了连系动词is,are与助动词does,do,will 的用法,这是英语初学者难以很快掌握的语法现象。更有趣的是这个调子不是以一般的重音或节奏来表现,而 是以音乐来表现,以唱歌的方式唱出来。另外此调子中的动词hug(拥抱)是典型的美国英语。拥抱这一行为在 热情奔放的美国人中间极为常见,亲朋好友、同事之间几天不见或过个周末见面时都会拥抱一下以示思念、关 心和快乐；或有人要远行,也要紧紧拥抱来表示告别和祝福。本调子结尾部分颇具幽默感,也是现实生活中的 可能性。
(3)Big Mouth John Brown
Who did you see?
I saw John.
John who?
John Brown.
I can't near you.
I said John Brown.
I can't hear you.
I said John Brown.
I can't hear you.
I said John Brown.
I said John Brown.
John Brown.
John Brown.
What did he say?
Who?
John Brown.
John Brown?
Yes,what did he say?
He didn't say anything.
Nothing?
Not a word.
I don't believe it.
I don't believe it.
Big Mouth John Brown didn't say a word?
Not a word.
I don't believe it.
I don't believe it.
Big Mouth John Brown didn't say a word?
Big Mouth John Brown didn't say a word.
这个调子是仅靠语调的不同来发问,有的简略了的问句,如Johnwho?John Brown?Nothing?是通过夸 张的升调来表示疑问。另外,常用动词see和say过去式saw,said以及anything,nothing,not a 等的用法也得到 练习。
二、命令和响应(Command and response)
(4)Wake Up!Wake Up!
Wake up!Wake up!
What time is it?
Wake up!Wake up!
What time is it?
It's time to get up.
What time is it?
It's time to get up.
What time is it?
Come on,get up!
I don't want to get up.
Come on,get up!
I don't want to get up.
You have to get up!
I don't want to get up.
You must get up!
I don't want to get up.
You've got to get up!
I don't want to get up.
Come on,get up!
I don't want to get up.
Get up!Get up!
You're going to be late!
Late for what?
Late for work.
Late for work?
It's Sunday!
此调子为命令和响应的典型例子,它重点练习了情态助动词haveto,must,have got to以及常用动词词组g et up,wake up,come on等。
三、对挑逗性话语的反应(Response to a provocativestatement)
(5)Easy Solutions
Gee,I'm hungry!
Have a sandwich.
Gee,I'm anary!
Calm down!
Gee,I'm sieepy!
Take a nap!
Gee,it's chilly in here!
Put on a sweater.
Gee,it's hot in here!
Open a window.
I've got the hiccups!
Drink some water.
My nose itches.
Scratch it.
My feet hurt.
Sit down for a while.
My shoes are tight.
Take them off.
I have a toothache.
Go to the dentist.
I have a headache.
Take some aspirin.
I'm lonely!
Call up a friend.
I'm bored!
Go to a movie.
四、仅侧重练习语音语调和节奏(Purely exercises insound and rhythm)
(6)A Bad Day
I overslept and missed my train,
slipped on the sidewalk
in the pouring rain,
sprained my ankle,
skinned my knees,
broke my glasses,
lost my keys,
got stuck in the elevator,
it wouldn't go,
kicked it twice and stubbed my toe,
bought a pen that didn't write,
took it back and had a fight,
went home angry,
locked the door,
crawled into bed,
couldn't take any more.
以上一则调子(5)和一则诗歌(6)均为极其常用的口语表达,这些每日可能发生的事在趣味十足的幽默中体 现出来,学后印象更深。
(7)Sh!Sh!Baby's Sleeping!
I said,Sh!Sh!Baby's sleeping!
I said,Sh!Sh!Baby's sleeping!
What did you say?
What did you say?
I said,Hush!Hush!Baby's sleeping!
I said,Hush!Hush!Baby's sleeping!
What did you say?
What did you say?
I said,Please be quiet.Baby's sleeping!
I said,Please be quiet.Baby's sleeping!
What did you say?
What did you say?
I said,Shut up!Shut up!Baby's sleeping!
I said,Shut up!Shut up!Baby's sleeping!
WAAAAAAAAAAAA
Not anymore.
第7个调子中的sh,hush,please be quiet,shut up均为请人安静的表达法,先从温和礼貌的请求到愤怒粗 鲁的表达来体现一个人的情感变化,生动有趣,学而不忘。
怎样来学习这些调子？英语教师又怎样来教授这些调子和诗歌？若自学,很简单,听录音后反复模仿,熟 读到朗朗上口,它们自然也会象唐诗一样学了难以忘怀的。
若是课堂教学,这些调子和诗歌可作为活跃课堂气氛的最佳补充材料,英语教师自己首先得熟悉调子的内 容、重点、要求以及调子所用的拍子或节奏。掌握正确的节拍很重要,因为正如一首歌,节拍错了,唱出来的 歌肯定走调难听。爵士调的节拍错了、慢了或快了就达不到最佳效果。格拉姆教授的爵士调或诗歌均有一个清 晰稳定的节拍,而这些节拍完全符合日常会话的自然节奏,并且大多数调子以重复和响应之结合为基础,很容 易掌握。教师可以打拍子来定节奏。下面以Sh!Sh!Baby's Sleeping!为例,先将调子内容写在黑板上,讲解一 下内容、生词,告知学生请人安静的三种礼貌表达法,并讲清shut up是非常粗鲁的话语；然后,教师以正常语 速语调一句句朗读,让学生集体重复,难句可重复数遍；第三步,教师可以一边打出清晰的拍子,一边重复进 行第二步；第四步,将学生分成A、B组进行反复练习。爵士调可在两人之间进行,也可在十人、五十人之间进 行。同样,教师打着拍子让A组学生重复I said,Sh!Sh!Baby's sleeping!让B组学生重复What did yousay?第五 步,这时教师和学生一起打拍子,教师说前句,学生集体说后句,然后交换。教师还可让学生跟磁带录音一起 复述,直到学生完全熟悉内容；最后,将学生分成A、B组进行反复练习,A组说前句,B组说后句,再交换进行 ,此时教师不再示范。
许多调子还可进行课堂即兴表演,使得课堂气氛更加轻松愉快。即兴表演不仅使个别一些学生有机会单独 表演,同时也锻炼他们的勇气和表演能力。如Sh!Sh!Baby's Sleeping!It's Got to Be Somewhere!Personal Questions等十分适宜即兴表演。
如有兴趣,教师还可仿效格拉姆教授调子的节拍自编自导自演自己的调子。下面介绍两则我在美时与我的 指导教师巴巴拉·鲍德温一起合编的调子,二二拍。我常用于现在的英语教学中,效果不错。
How Do You Feel?
How do you feel?
I feel good!
How do you feel?
I feel happy!
How do you feel?
I feel great!
How do you feel?
Fantastic!
How do you feel?
Terrific!
How do you feel?
Wonderful!
Me too!
How do you feel?
I feel bad!
How do you feel?
I feel sad!
How do you feel?
I feel sick!
How do you feel?
I feel lonely!
Oh.I'm sorry.What's wrong?
How do you feel?
I feel sleepy.
How do you feel?
I feel tired.
How do you feel?
I feel bored.
How do you feel?
I feel lazy.
How do you feel?
I feel dizzy.
Me too!
How do you feel?
I'm anary!
How do you feel?
I'm mad!
Really?What's wrong?
How Was Your Weekend?
How was your weekend?
It was good!
How was your weekend?
It was great!
How was your weekend?
It was exciting!
How was your weekend?
It was fun!
How was your weekend?
Fantastic!
How was your weekend?
Terriffic!
How was your weekend?
Wonderful!
Mine too!
How was your weekend?
It was bad.
How was your weekend?
It was sad.
How was your weekend?
It was boring.
How was your weekend?
It was terrible.
How was your weekend?
It was miserable!
Oh,I'm sorry.What happened?
How was your weekend?
It was so—so!
How was your weekend?
It was okay!
Mine too!
在此值得一提的是英语教师在使用这种新方法时,一定要放开,不要拘束,这样才能将爵士调展示到最佳 境界。
附录
Departure
Have a wonderful trip!
Have a wonderful trip!
Don't forget to call me
when you get back.
Have a wonderful trip!
Have a wonderful trip!
Don't forget to call me
when you get back.
Have a wonderful trip!
Don't worry,I will.
Have a wonderful trip!
Don't worry,I will.
Don't forget to call me.
Don't worry,I won't.
Don't forget to call me.
Don't worry,I won't.
Return Home
Gee,it's good to see you.
You look wonderful!
So do you!
It's been a long time!
It sure has.
It's been a long time!
It sure has.
I missed you terribly.
Me too!
I'm so glad you're back!
So am I.
It's Got to Be Somewhere
Where is it?Where is it?
Where is it?Where is it?
I can't find it!
She can't find it!
It's got to be here.It's got to be here!
It has to be here! It must be here!
It's gone!It's gone!
It's gone!It's gone!
Take it easy!Take it easy!
It has to be here.
It must be here!
It can't be lost.
It can't be lost.
It's got to be here.
It's got to be here.
Try to remember.
Try to remember.
I can't remember.
Try to remember.
I can't remember.
Think back!
I can't think.
Think back!
I can't think.
Where did you put it?
Where did you put it?
I can't remember.
I can't remember.
Oh,here it is.Here it is!
Thank heavens!
Thank heavens!
I found it.
She found it.
Here it isiHere it is!
Whew!
Panic on Being Late
What time is it?
What time is it?
Hurry up!Hurry up!
Hurry up!Hurry up!
What time is it?
What time is it?
Please hurry up!
We're going to be late!
Oh,I don't have time
to talk to you now.
I'm late,I'm late.I'm terribly late.
Hurry up!Hurry up!
What time is it?
Hurry up!Hurry up!
What time is it?
Hurry up!
What time is it?
Hurry up!
参考书目
Carolyn Graham,1978,Jazz Chants,Oxford University Press,New York
